Posted on January 1, 2017

Create a blog post that uses data that I crawled for and analyzed in the realm of fashion. ( Like FiveThirtyEight does for politics. )

Make my mother’s cookbook a master piece.

Plant and grow 5 house plants.

Limit meat consumption to one day a week.

Aggressively save up for our next home.

Inspire a 100 people to consume less.

Apply for work authorization ( I lost mine in December 2016 #immigrantProblems) and find another job once I am back in America. Preferably in a tech start-up.

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I don’t have a big list this year. But each one is a big deal. Make a few goals and achieving them is preferable to getting my feet wet in a lot of to-do’s. A TIP : Monica, whom I met through this blog gave me some wonderful advice. She has her list written on a piece of paper in her handbag. She reads it frequently and its helped. She kept me on my toes by periodically asking me (via email) about my progress. Thank you for that !

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Blog goals / Mission Statement :

I want to write about my closet building stories that go beyond “go to Store XYZ and buy”. A blog post for each building block/basic. Items I have that lasted over 2+ years and stand the test of quality – need to be talked about. Also, I have a new take on fast fashion. :

There is no fast fashion. Just accelerated consumption. The way to combat drain of resources is not by buying to my heart’s content from Stella McCartney (who makes everything in the most ethical manner possible and with expert tailoring techniques learnt from Saville Row). But by not buying so much.

I bought everything from Zara in the past with the intention of using them sparsely. Once I changed that intention, quality and good design became paramount. I conquered that huddle. Next item on my list to master is to condition my mind to want less. I will continue to catalog my purchases. I will talk about slow fashion. I will talk about personal style without pushing products on to you. Fashion is a craft and style is very personal. Its very sacred in some sense and I dislike the strong association with shopping that came out of it all. We call marketing gurus : internet influencers. We cant recognize ads anymore because its cleverly interlaced in content.( TIP : Just count the affiliate links per post on items not owned/purchased by the blogger.) How did we get here ? Every year, my reading material shrinks after I loose a few favorites to internet fame. I want to write the blog that I would like to read. One that celebrates the craft, love of clothes, very personal : personal style and can demarcate shopping/consumption from this equation.

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Will anyone cheer me on (just a little), if I gather the courage to post some outfit pictures ? Do point it out to me if I get too preachy on this blog. Do hold me accountable if I start pushing products on to you. Anything you want to see on this blog, do leave a suggestion. Anyone else trying to go zero-waste ? If you have a list that you made for 2017 that you would like to share, please do. Happy New Year !

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This is amazing. There are too few blogs like this. All the encouragement for you from me in New York. And definitely want to see outfit posts that are about what people really wear, not about a photoshoot.

I think outfit photos are a great idea. Blogs that post outfits are more personable somehow — sometimes, I find blog posts nowadays too formulaic, even those from blogs I’ve always enjoyed. Some personal style blogs come across as pretentious and elitist…and as clever copy for some brands/designers. I would really appreciate in-depth, critical posts about personal clothing consumption and the thought behind wardrobe building.

Congrats for deciding to go zero waste and low meat! Both are directions that I want to go in, but neither are possible for me right now. I look forward to your 2017 posts

Never looked at it that way. But ofcourse – its one thing to talk about clothes and one thing to show myself wearing them. I got to put a face on it. I have written that style isnt about the clothes but more about life style. I am hoping to show that ? Not sure yet.

My problem with blogs has been too much cheering/prompts for consumption. The west has been on hyper consumption mode for a while. And where is our responsibility ?

As I speak of zero waste, my mother is packing home made preserves in double sealed plastic bags to send back with me. No amount of protest will convince her that I can do without amla pickle. Zero waste is a hard task and requires some personal sacrifices. I hope I am ready for it. But my country is filled with plastic ! Its everywhere. We dont have efficient trash management. Things get burnt outside the city or just dumped where ever. Its disgusting. Our farm animals have been eating it up and suffering. I have to do something about it.

I feel your concern Archana! Every time I see piles of plastic bags in my household (living my my mum, hard to convince her) and plies of packaging in shops it make me heart disillusioned- will we ever be able to stop it? I saw cows eating plastic bags in India, shocking shocking view. I feel my quest for zero waste, using only biodegradable packaging, is not enough to save the world. Perhaps we individuals should tray to make our voice heard, to convince politicians to ban plastic bags if not worldwide then at least locally? I wonder…

It needs to be in the form of legislation. We might never give up the conveniences that we take granted as necessities. Indian govt just sanctioned a new bill for cleaner environment. I am very hopeful.

People outside the blogosphere that I meet seem blissfully unaware of the damage to the environment. I am working on sharpening my people skills to have actual face to face conversations on this regard.

Oh yes, it needs to be fought on the government level in the form of legislation, you are right. Simultaneously we need to make people more aware of the state of affairs. I do feel I need to work on my communications skills too, every time I start talking about it I get so emotional that it puts people off ( the same applies to other important matters like abortion etc). Its a hard battle. Best wishes Archana for the New Year!

If you are currently in India, may I make a suggest a little project ? Go to a local dressmaker and have something made for you (and pay the maker a ethical price of course).

Is there some beloved but unused fabric you can turn into something new and use-able ? A vintage sari with sentimental associations for example ? Yes ? Then you will be addressing item 1 on zero waste.

Is there something you can learn from engaging an experienced and skilled cutter/ sewer who knows about quality work and can talk about how to recognise it when you see it ? Yes ? Then you have an opportunity to document it for the blog and address item 4 on your list.

And yes, of course, an outfit post with the outcome of the project please.

My great-grand-ma passed away last year and all of us inherited a saree of hers. I am yet to see mine but I will look into repurposing some of my mothers clothing to use when I am here. Thank you for idea. I will blog it.

If I may ask you : where are you from ? Please tell me a little bit about yourself.

Well, I’m someone who owes most of what she knows about garment quality to her dressmaker (a 20-year old relationship still going strong, nearly as long as I’ve known my husband) and to the mash-up of torn lace, giant shoulders and discoloured polyester at my favourite secondhand dress shops. I’m also a fan of your writing – a friend linked your post about your great-grandmother back when you first put it up and I came back during the quiet time at the end of the year to catch up with everything you’ve written since then.

I’m from Indonesia, a country with textile traditions nearly as interesting as India’s.

I like the idea of photos and the stories behind the items – what made you choose them, and what brings you joy? The idea of how fashion relates to a sense of identity – how it’s personal and shares how you see yourself in the world – also interests me – for example your post on ‘pink’. I enjoyed that one a lot.

I enjoy personal posts because I think it takes the objectivity/distance out of personal style, making it less about some abstract (but sometimes judgemental) concept of ‘taste’ and shows the true value of choice and expression. I think though that the focus on appreciation you have on your blog also adds to the sustainability conversation too. I was reading a book called “Braiding Sweetgrass’ (very lovely) which looks at gratitude as a means of creating a counter culture to consumerism. The writer shares that if we feel grateful, we are less likely to mindlessly dispose of or devalue what we have. And so consumerism and buying to discard loses it’s hold. Appreciation is deeply personal, I think. I think it also takes the hierarchies of authority (or even dominance) out of fashion.

Nicci:
I LOVE the idea/practise of using gratitude as a means to counter fast-consumption of anything(be it clothes,food or just about any article in the house). While I havent read “the” Kondo book on decluttering, I agree with her premise of ‘thanking things’ before letting them go with respect and mindfulness. Just imagine, instead if we extended that concept as an “incoming” concept – a”joyful & grateful” welcome to all the things we have/use or even intend to bring into our lives- it would make us so much aware of the ‘contact’ we initiate with every piece of plastic/high street shirt/every packaging that enters our lives.

This idea is not a new concept to me, however. Growing up in India, i have seen my grandparents and their village treat all things with such “mindfulness”( which I loosely assume, in this context to be a syonym for gratitude)..Old clothes that couldnt be mended anymore were kept aside for all the babies requirements, all the chaff from threshing rice and grain was scattered around regularly for birds and rodents, newspapers and old ‘tin’ cans were sold for money(basically,recycled) etx etc. The rare plastic bag that entered their house was promptly used as a folder to store important documents! And conversely how difficult to be grateful for all the amazon packaging, foam and fast-fashion tee’s that could swamp our doorstep today,if we let it!!

Monica, thanks so much for the reply! I’m exploring how western belief systems have disconnected us from a sense of environment…and other voices which add to the conversation. And so your comment on the ways your grandparents lived, and the familiarity you have with gratitude inspires me to keep learning. This is a particularly lovely blog, and especially because the impact of fast fashion on the environment, along with all the plastic waste, is HUGE!! I’ve been reading how ecofeminists see that oppression of earth or ‘other’ beings has often been linked to oppression of marginalised groups of people too. I love that there are such interesting conversations going on here.

Oh, no, the personal post are as interesting as the other ones, in fact I like them the most I think. That what I am much more inclined to read style blogs over fashion magazines these days, as the latter rarely talk in depth about a person behind the clothes.

Archana,thanks for the shout out..I was quite startled for a second, when I came online this morning and recognised myself, while reading your post!! I really liked the principles behind your to-do’s for this year and wish you great success with them:)

And yes, I am still reviewing last year’s list (the edited 2nd version, after my June review)..I realise that the one’s I will drop this year from the list are those that were more short-term/transactional focussed. I will retain those, that reflect my value system and are worth translating into “life-time to-do’s” otherwise simply called, habits!! And yes, they will not go onto evernote, iphone notes etc…I plan to keep them on paper in my bag again this year:))

PS: I dont know how you did it but you’ve created a community of such honest,intelligent commentators. I learn something as i read through each of them..Thank you for this,too!

I am so happy whenever I see you have a new post, even though your mindset is very different from mine. Thank you for posting from fashion donkey, I have read the various evolutions of her blogs for YEARS–it’s nice to “re-find” her.

Aleppo post was my proudest moment this year. I attended 2 weddings in the family and didnt buy any thing. When ever I was given money, I donated it. I sold some gold. I won some money at a party. And it was easy to donate it. It all felt easy and very right.

My friend who works for Doctors without Borders met with a vehicle accident. And has a brain injury and is in comatose stage. She was one of my best friends when I was in middle school. Her wedding has been called off and engagement broken. People are risking their lives to help. My life is so easy and its the least I can do.

Every time fashionDonkey posts something, I see myself in her words. I could be her. She could be any of us. Very relatable and adorable. I am trying to link one fav blogger in every post of mine. Dont know if its possible but I can try.

Archana, sending prayers to your friend. I hope she recovers soon and stronger than before. In the world we live in, people like her are simply too rare and precious to lose. Her bravery is so real and intense…I know nothing of her, yet I have been thinking of her since you mentioned her in an earlier post.

Please do post outfits posts! I would love to see more of your style and read your ideas about it. Congratulations to your idea to eat less meat. How we eat I think it has a big impact on our footprint on earth. We do it every day… And there are so many tasty inspirations online.
My list for 2017: Be less online. Do things that make me happy – more music, yoga, gardening. Buy better. But first – look in my own closet, then second hand or at sustainable brands. Less stress. More love.

I have failed at that resolution multiple times. I tried cutting it out entirely and failed. I am trying moderation this year. Should be easier to do. I ate chicken once a week until I came to America. Shouldnt be that hard if I can meal prep a little for the week.

“Be less online” – I should try this too. Sharpen my people skills a little offline.

I already love the few outfit posts you’ve done. Even if from afar, they celebrate the clothes being put to good use through activities like hiking and biking. I also agree with you about re-conditioning ourselves to want less. That’s is really at the heart of our woes here. One of my intentions this year is to build my sense of self-confidence and sense of peace, in part through knowing what I love to wear and wearing my clothes down.

I rarely comment on blogs, yet I’m writing because it’s clear you have a great dialogue going. Love reading your blog!

“build my sense of self-confidence and sense of peace”. A friend of mine read your comment and was telling me : ” The word I use to describe the same is position of strength. Everything else falls into place once you reach it”. I call it my “happy place”. I think we both agree with you on it.

Its wonderful to hear different perspectives and stories. This is what differentiates us bloggers from print magazines. Its been an ambition to write a post that inspires 100 comments. And the comments should lead to the next post. I play moderator-of-sorts and take the conversation forward. I know this sounds very academic but thats my background. I want to give this idea a try in 2017.

That’s terrible. I hope your friend pulls through. An acquaintance of mine just gave birth to a baby daughter last month. Her mum came to visit her, a couple of days later, she collapsed. The doctor said it was multiple organ failure. No symptoms whatsoever. She is in ICU now, supported by machines. This is one of the reasons why one of my resolutions is to show the people I love how much I treasure their presence in my life. You will never know what’s going to happen.

Another resolution would be switching to menstrual cup. Live a more mindful life. Be more frugal. Be wiser in money management. And yes, like you, eat less meat.

Don’t worry. I will always welcome outfit posts, esp from you. I like your style a lot.

Please do, I have been considering switching to it for some time, but the though of it being unpractical have been putting off so far, So your opinion would be valuable, thank you Archana, I think your blog was my best internet discovery of 2016.

I got started with cloth pads that I would wash and reuse. And everytime I found something better, it felt like the best thing ever. And I may have peaked. I will write about my experience and link some helpful resources that I found.

Happy New year to you ! I see you visited India, was the situation regarding the withdrawal of the high denomination notes as bad as the press made out in Britain? Here we had news about huge q’s and people unable to make a living or buy food, since there was no cash to pay them.

Still in India. It was a good idea with terrible execution. Good idea because of the amount of money that came into light and the number of people who are being questioned about their source of income. Terrible execution because the nation went on a shopping fast : no money to spend outside necessities. And farmers and businesses are hit the worst. Would have gone well if there wasnt currency shortage.

Every ATM has long lines. And farmers are unable to sell their vegetables and are dumping the unsold food into the rivers. It is quite bad out here.

Happy New Year!
So sorry to hear that-we had very big inflation before our war for independence in 1991,and before that, shortage of a lot of things:coffee,gas,electricity,even tights,..
I’m sure that your blog is,and could be,a great inspiration for a lot of people,more than 100 on your list! It is mindful and methodical,giving reasons for your decisions
Don’t be shy about outfit post-there were glimpses of them from time to time and it was very nice
I love your posts about India and your family-very interesting and emotional- can’t wait for your cookbook. It would be great to hear more about your artisans,clothes and how they were/are made,about changes that are happening…..
Can’t wait for 3.and 4.on the list :-),too
I love lists and reminders but don’t make new year resolutions- I have my goals and steps but they are not connected with a New year any more
I wish you luck with your work authorization
Dottoressa

Outfit picture posts sound great. I generally enjoy them until it becomes plain that the blogger is posing, and all the pictures begin to blur into each other… because they all look the same (different poses, though). To me, it feels postured and lacking in authenticity.

Zero-waste may be a challenge but it is a great goal to keep in mind. Sometimes it is a tad inconvenient, I agree. It’s really about building the awareness, I feel… so that every decision you make, you are factoring it in. How to keep things sustainable, low-waste, reusable… It has not been very tough but there are some toughies. Like buying lentils/dals at the local Indian store, or my favorite brand of bread at the local Whole Foods, or figuring out how to dispose of old Tees and holey socks, etc. But I think we are getting better at it. 🙂

Purchasing products for their pretty packaging was something I mocked at for a long time. I seem to be doing that now – glass packaging triumphs better products in plastic. I am spending more for the privilege of shopping in bulk while rest of the folk I know get to save money by shopping in other places. Its not been easy. Its not going to be easy. But …

My sprouts/whole foods has lentils in bulk. It even has everything I need for the spice box in bulk. But for a lot more money 😦 Methi leaves and curry leaves – unless I am growing them or giving them up, there is no way. Kimchi – I started getting in bulk from a korean market. Its all become very logistic intensive. Do i carry a bigger bag around with reusable containers from now on ? Its definitely not going to be easy for me.

Oh yeah, I do that too… Pick glass over plastic every time. However, my recycling company does not recycle glass, and it looks like most of them don’t. There is another larger recycling facility that does it, so I need to make a trip periodically to give away the glass containers.

We grow curry leaves, coriander, mint, etc., so I don’t buy them from the stores. I get organic black-eyed peas from the Whole Foods bulk bins, so that’s one thing less to get from the local Indian store. Honestly, I do all sorts of things to beat plastic. 🙂 It is kinda hilarious, but we are steadily working on it.

Arizona didnt recycle glass. I would take mine to whole food or a certain location on campus that would recycle it. They DONT make it easy do they ? Perhaps if we make enough noise/data points, someone is bound to notice the market gap.

I am keen on potting some plants for curry leaves and such, this year. I tried before and the dog dug up the plant and ate it. And the cat likes sleeping in the mint bush. I will find a way to grow them once I get back from India.

I am a silent reader of your blog more then year. I have found you through Paris to go blog and I do follow your posts very carefully.:) I really like your thougfull, accurate, analytic style. How you honestly search the path, that you do not promote products, how you comment global and very local (“homestic”) situations, phenomenons. I like your exploration and then definitions what you like, what’s not.
I also support you to share more your outfits, but maybe not from practical reasons (I am 15 years older, differt size and type of figure;), but for your honest quest to combine your love for the beauty, simplicity, humility and reverence for human work. (For example I remember your post Maintenance Hour).
I am trying to go zero waste (minimalist, no plastic) already some months and I all the time try to be no so demanding/stric to myself (as always) in that.;) So step by step, naturally, in spiral…
Wish you all the best. Joy, love and inspiration.
-Katerina from Prague

I am currently in India and cant escape the reality of things. Things I have said in the past dont really add up. Its been baffling trying to make up my mind on a lot of things. So is life ( i guess ) !

I wish you good results with the zero waste resolve. I believe once a certain threshold has been achieved, the people around us get influenced too. My mother is trying to make a switch after living with me for the last few weeks. I find it very encouraging.

Come on now, you can do better than a 100. I’m sure of that! And I admire your dedication to go zero waste. I’m definitely not there yet and to be completely honest, I don’t know if I ever will be.
I would love to see outfit posts by the way. But I’m not one to tell you what to do because I rarely post them myself. Maybe we should make a deal, at least one outfit post every two months 🙂

Gee,… you guys really think I have more in me than I do. Ariana ( Paris-to-go ) has been encouraging me to start a product line that we once discussed, with raw materials from my family farm…..

Thank you !

I accept the deal. I was thinking one post per month. Shouldnt be too hard from my side. But I dont have a photographer husband. I have a husband but … Every time I set up a tripod outside, its too much work to get a composition and focus right. We dont have a full length mirror in our current home.

I dont know if zero waste is achievable if I continue eating my traditional India diet in America. But mostly zero waste is ! Instead of being that woman who flaunts her mason jar full of trash, I will flaunt a bucket full of it. And think of it as a success if I get there.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I’m a frequent reader of your blog. Although I don’t comment often due to a lack of time (commenting takes much time because I’m not used to write in english and I want my writing to be somewhat understandable) I’m really thankful for the time and passion you put into your writing.
I would really like to see outfit posts and I’m interested in the progress you make with your list in case you like to share the evolution of it with us.
The people commenting here are adding a lot of interesting things and points of view, I really appreciate it.
I wish you a good stay in India, all the best for your work authorization and your injured friend!